Inquests into deaths of two men who died during Ironman in Youghal to take place

The inquests in to the deaths of two men who died during an Ironman competition in Youghal, Co Cork in August of last year will open tomorrow.

Brendan Wall, aged 45, who was a native of Cardrath in Slane, Co Meath and Ivan Chittenden, aged 64, of Toronto in Canada died on August 20 last year after they separately experienced difficulties in the water during the challenge.

The brief hearing at Midleton courthouse tomorrow is set to involve the hearing of evidence involving identification as well as the causes of death of both men. The inquest will then be adjourned until a later date.

Mr Wall got engaged to his fiancée Tina just months before his ing and was living in Solihull in the West Midlands in the UK.

He was a graduate of Trinity College in Dublin where he studied manufacturing and mechanical engineering. He also completed an MBA in the University of Hull.

Mr Wall commenced work as a sales director at Top Tubes Ltd in Wednesbury in the UK three months before his death having previously been employed by Cavan based cutting tools manufacturer, the ATA Group. Both companies said that Brendan was a gentleman and much ired by his colleagues.

Brendan also worked for ten years in London. He is survived by his fiancée Tina, parents Oliver and Gertrude, brothers Martin and Joe, sister Maria, extended family and a large circle of friends.

Meanwhile, the late Ivan Chittenden was a native of Brantford, Ontario and had studied business at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Canada. He was a senior partner in Ernst and Young prior to his retirement in 2021 having first started in the London, Ontario office as a co-op student in May 1979. He was a keen triathlete and had previously competed in Ironman events. Mr Chittenden, who was married with a family, also ran in the Boston and Dallas marathons.

He was predeceased by his first wife Dianne Dyer who died suddenly in 2011.

He began training for marathons and Ironman events in the wake of his bereavement. He subsequently met his second wife Dr Siobhan Hyland during a trip to Paris.

Ivan is survived by his wife, his stepchildren Jack and Kate, his brother Roger, mother in law Patricia Hyland, extended family and friends.

The Ironman event in Youghal is not going ahead this year with organisers describing it as being on “hiatus” to allow for “further healing.”